In his last State of the Union address, President Obama acknowledged the extraordinary changes that have occurred in the United States over the past several years, and outlined several big questions facing the country for the future. Although education was not a major theme of the President’s remarks, he once again pointed out the critical role that education plays in terms of economic opportunity, and that equal access to education is vital to the national interest.

On these last points, President Obama re-affirmed his commitment to the ambitious goals of universal Pre-K education, and to offering two years of community college free to high school graduates. These initiatives would provide tremendous opportunity to all students in the U.S., especially English language learners, who are not only the fastest growing student population, but often the most disadvantaged. TESOL…